Ji Zhaoxi had also drunk a little wine with Mother Qin and the others. She had only taken a tiny sip, but she was already completely dizzy.
When she went to the side room, let alone studying, she couldn't even sit up straight.
She leaned her entire body into Qin Du's embrace. Qin Du let her lean against him and draped his overcoat over her.
He was currently correcting Ji Zhaoxi's mistakes. She had repeatedly gotten these few concepts wrong several times, so he would have to explain them to her all over again tomorrow.
The little drunkard was mumbling something. Qin Du couldn't hear clearly, so he moved a bit closer to her.
"Qin... Qin Du, let me punch you... okay...?"
In her dream, Ji Zhaoxi was being threatened by Chen Yiping. Chen Yiping told her that if she didn't hit Qin Du, he would never play with her again and would even make her give back the candy he had given her before.
Ji Zhaoxi didn't dare to hit Qin Du directly, so she could only cry and beg him.
"Just one hit..."
Qin Du finally heard her clearly and raised an eyebrow.
Was she dreaming about hitting him?
Ji Zhaoxi wasn't leaning peacefully and kept slipping down. Qin Du had no choice but to scoop her up and secure her firmly against him, her warm breath continuously brushing against his neck.
After a little while, she quieted down again. Qin Du looked down at her sleeping face, wondering if she had managed to hit him in her dream.
However, he wouldn't refuse her. He just didn't know if the version of him in her dream was the same way.
In the dream, Qin Du really didn't refuse Ji Zhaoxi. He just looked at her calmly and bent down.
Ji Zhaoxi successfully knocked Qin Du down, and the nightmare came to an end.
The registration period was getting closer and closer.
Ji Zhuxin knew that according to the policy, class background shouldn't matter, but she also knew there was always room for manipulation between a policy and its execution.
Early in the morning, she carried some gifts and went to see the village chief again.
The village chief was different from his wife. He didn't like to talk and always kept a straight face, but a trace of sharpness would occasionally flash in his eyes.
"I'm still a bit worried, so I just wanted to come and ask," Ji Zhuxin said with a smile as she sat down next to them.
The village chief's wife took the gifts into the house and smilingly poured her a cup of tea.
The village chief frowned deeply. "We will definitely follow the policy. We wouldn't go so far as to make things difficult for a child."
Ji Zhuxin's eyes curved into a smile, and she nodded. "That's good, that's good. Because it's almost time for registration, it's inevitable for us elders to worry."
The village chief's wife cracked a peanut and asked gently, "Is your family getting close to the Qin family now?"
Ji Zhuxin never hid this matter from outsiders. "They saved Zhaoxi's life. We can never repay this favor. And there's Educated Youth Lin. Sigh, there really are a lot of good people in this world."
Chen Yiping, who had been silent on the side, suddenly spoke up.
"It was just a coincidence. There were so many people on the mountain. Even without Qin Du, someone else would have saved Ji Zhaoxi."
The atmosphere went quiet for a moment.
Ji Zhuxin didn't dare say anything against Chen Yiping, only smiling. "That's natural, but it just happened to be Qin Du."
She had been annoyed with this brat for a long time. He used to always be a bad influence on their Zhaoxi, making a young girl run around everywhere with them.
The village chief glanced at Chen Yiping. Smoking his dry tobacco pipe and shrinking into his fur collar, he asked, "How are Qin Du's studies going? He went to school with Yiping before, and his grades were very good back then."
Ji Zhuxin frowned. "I don't really know much about that. I usually just provide them with whatever supplies they need."
The village chief's wife poured Ji Zhuxin another cup of hot tea and sighed. "That's what I do for Yiping too. What else can we do? We don't understand anything about studying."
Chen Yiping's tone was somewhat mocking. "No matter how good Qin Du's grades were before, they couldn't be good enough to teach Ji Zhaoxi. It would be better to let Ji Zhaoxi come to the educated youth compound to study with me."
Ji Zhuxin couldn't be bothered to entertain him and silently rolled her eyes in her heart.
The educated youth compound, the educated youth compound... Those educated youths were only willing to teach him because he was the village chief's son. If their Zhaoxi went, she would just be asking for trouble.
Given how she had scolded those educated youths before, it would be a miracle if they were willing to teach her.
Ji Zhuxin left after exchanging a few more words. She didn't like this kid at all.
He was just spoiled.
As soon as Ji Zhuxin left, the village chief's wife looked at Chen Yiping helplessly. "What's wrong with you? Why are you always targeting Qin Du? He hasn't provoked or bothered you at all."
Chen Yiping went into his room without a word and slammed the door shut with a bang.
The village chief smoked his pipe, silently looking at the water stains on the table.
What else could it be? Back in school, he was always overshadowed by Qin Du. Even after the boy's father died, he was still overshadowed by him.
The village chief sighed. This son of his...
"Go find that document on the political background check for the college entrance examination. Let's see if the village needs to stamp it for registration."
The village chief's wife paused and gave him a surprised look.
She then looked at the tightly shut door, lowered her eyes, and got up to find the document.
As the registration period drew near, Ji Zhaoxi became increasingly nervous, so nervous that she couldn't even eat.
The light and shadows from the kerosene lamp flickered slightly. Listening to the sound of the wind outside, Ji Zhaoxi felt even more panicked.
Her sister had sacrificed so much for her college entrance examination. If she didn't pass, all her sister's hard work during this time would be in vain.
And Qin Du, who had fed her so much meat. If she failed, it would all be for nothing. If she had known, she wouldn't have eaten all that meat.
Tears pattered onto her book, and her vision instantly blurred.
Her face was gently cupped by someone's hands. Qin Du carefully wiped her tears. "What's wrong? Are you tired?"
More tears fell, landing heavily on his hands. Qin Du's heart tightened, and he pulled her into his arms.
"Was I too loud when I was explaining the problems just now? I'm sorry, I won't scold you next time."
Ji Zhaoxi leaned into his embrace, crying so hard she could barely catch her breath. "Brother Qin Du, if I don't pass the exam, will you all blame me...?"
Qin Du breathed a sigh of relief and gently patted her shoulder. "How could we blame you? Your sister loves you so much; seeing you cry like this, she would only feel heartache for you."
"Don't cry," he coaxed her softly.
Ji Zhaoxi gripped his clothes tightly, looking at him with tearful eyes. "What about you? I ate so much of your meat, and you worked so hard to teach me. Will you blame me?"
Seeing her like this, Qin Du's heart melted into a puddle. He helplessly wiped away her tears. "Of course I won't blame you. I'll only blame you if you don't eat your meals properly."
Qin Du was also nervous, but he wasn't nervous about the college entrance examination; he was nervous about the political background check.
But seeing Ji Zhaoxi crying like this, that little bit of nervousness in his heart felt like nothing.
Ji Zhaoxi cried herself to sleep in his arms. Qin Du placed a hot water bottle in her embrace, touched her hand, and continued studying while holding her.
Qin Du had never really liked winter. Hunting in winter was very difficult, and the ground was frozen solid.
But after having Ji Zhaoxi, he suddenly felt that winter was actually quite nice.
